As you well know by now, I am a huge sucker for pop. Today, I was watching videos of two bands I had read good reviews of; the results were not as promising as I had hoped for, but in the related videos for a song by The Henry Clay People, I saw a link to a video that I instantly remembered hearing about six months ago, then promptly forgetting. I checked in on it, and as a fiend for well written pop music, I was very happy. Soon I snagged the album, and now that I am a few songs deep I am even more pleased by this band I randomly rediscovered.
Two Door Cinema Club are a young Irish pop group that kick out some upbeat, catchy dance music with decent skills and a huge talent for feel-good hooks. I have seen a few live videos of theirs, and it seems that their strength really lays in the studio. They are a trio of multi-instrumentalists, and their songs usually feature a full band sound that is hard for them to properly replicate live. Its not to say they don't try, or that this fact should be a deterrent; they are young and there is always time for expansion, and their abilities at writing a great studio album are still very strong.
Tourist History is their 2010 studio debut. It is reminding me of a mix of the styles of Postal Service, Bloc Party, Belle and Sebastian and the best parts of Vampire Weekend. Simple, melodic lead guitar melodies that harmonize with the upbeat vocals, guitars, bass, drums and assorted electronica. After hearing only their singles, Cigarettes in the Theatre really surprised me as an opening track; It shares so many flavors with Bloc Partys debut album opener, Like Eating Glass, and I love that stuff soo much. I was quite excited for what was to come after it, and what kind of progression would lead into the two songs I had heard, which appear in the later parts of this album with such an unexpected beginning. Something Good Can Work is on the uber-catchy side of their spectrum, and comes in at track 5; the song that brought up the memories I had of these guys, What You Know, comes in at track 8. It is just so darned accessible. Great rhythms, melodies, and quality catchiness. I am enjoying; maybe you will too. Blam:
Its been awhile since I've sat down with these Irish gents since their last full release in 2011. It looks like they have amped the math rock by 12 and added some choice extra instrumentation and interesting percussion. When their next release drops be careful where your standing because these guys are going to explode. Just a really awesome sense of structure and pretty memorable melodies as well. Nothing too crazy complex but just enough to wet the whistle. This one song moves at a nice clip and keeps adding the tension and volume as it progresses. Previous things are also fantastic as well maybe not as good but still some incredibly solid math rock. Certainly check those as well.
